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The corners of Glen’s lips curved upward. “That’s better,” he drawled. “Good dog.” Darien shook harder, his lungs burning. “What you’re wearing, Darien,” Glen continued, his voice saturated with pompous attitude, “is a pair of brynstan cuffs. Otherwise known as?—”

“Brimstone,” Darien growled.

“Right. And not only does brimstone nullify a person’s magic, it will also?—”

“Backfire and kill me if I try to use it,” Darien concluded coldly.

Glen gave him a deadly smile. “So he does have a brain.”

Loren kept her pleading eyes on Darien as the officer standing behind her finished locking her cuffs. Ordinary—not brimstone. “It’s okay,” she mouthed. “It’ll be okay.”

But Darien’s chest heaved, all those walls he’d spent twenty-four years building and heavily fortifying finally threatening to crumble.

This was not okay.Noneof this was okay.

“You have the right remain silent,” the cop was saying to her. “Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law?—”

“She needs to get changed,” Darien growled. “You’re not taking her in like that, she’ll freeze.”

Glen got right up in his face. Close enough to spit on. To bite. Darien would have done it—would’ve bitten his cheek clean off, if these assholes wouldn’t retaliate by bringing harm to Loren. But he refrained—for her. Even as Glen canted his head from side to side, studying him down his bony nose with flagrant disgust.

It seemed to take forever before he prompted the officer, who held onto Loren’s cuffs, with a sharp nod.

“It’s okay,” Loren once again assured him, but her words were strained, and Darien could tell that she was barely breathing. The officer gripped her by the upper arm and led her to the dressing room.

Seeing another man touch her like that…especially when he knew she didn’t like it…

It was torture. He felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart and was slowly twisting the blade, his blood splashing to the floor. That was his whole world he was looking at, and he could do nothing but stand there and watch as they paraded her around like she was a fucking criminal.

He refused to take his eyes off his girl as they stopped by the door, the cop unlocking her cuffs. Even after she haddisappeared into the dark room with a backward glance, her eyes briefly meeting his before she vanished around the corner, he kept watching, making sure no one went in there or tried to peek. If they did, he’d slaughter them all, no question. Even if the brynstan ended up killing him too, he’d gladly die defending her.

Glen was still watching him with that same perpetual sneer.

Darien didn’t spare him one look.

“Hm,” Glen scoffed. “Not only does the Devil have a brain, but he seems to have a heart, too,” he mused, his tone glacial. That heart he spoke of was pounding with rage, the chains on his cuffs tinkling with restraint. He was squeezing his fists so hard, the muscles and bones in his right hand were burning. “This should be interesting.”

Darien shifted his black stare to Glen—just for a moment. The prick was looking at him like he was shit under his shoe.

Darien spat on the floor between them.

Glen frowned down at his shoes. Lifted his gaze to Darien’s. “You’re going to regret that,” he said quietly.

We’ll see who regrets anything about this night, you fucking tool.

A couple of minutes later, Loren came out fully dressed, her spring jacket zipped up. She turned around and offered up her hands to the officer. Darien breathed so hard he was panting as the cuffs snapped shut on her delicate wrists.

“Call Ivy,” Darien said to the wolves as the officers prodded him forward. “Call Ivy—now.”

“Yes,docall Ivy,” Glen drawled, his tone cruel. Mocking. “We’d like to have a chat with her husband, too.” He gave Darien a hostile once-over before barking,“Take them to the station!”

71

South Coastal District

YVESWICH, STATE OF KER

A riot had brokenout in the South Coastal District.